Singapore as a must-visit tourist destination
To compete and distinguish itself from the internationally-popular beach holiday destinations right at its doorstep, such as Thailand and Bali, Singapore has invested heavily in marketing itself as a must-visit city destination offering a variety of unique experiences and tourist attractions. In the last decade, several large-scale projects were completed that helped place Singapore on the tourism map, such as the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix, the world’s only night race; Gardens by the Bay, which houses the world’ largest glass greenhouse; and the world’s second-largest aquarium, the S.E.A Aquarium in Resorts World Sentosa. Since 2019, Singapore added another superlative attraction to that list - the world's tallest indoor waterfall, located in Changi Airport.Recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on tourism
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on global tourism, and Singapore was not spared. Monthly visitor arrivals in 2020 plummeted by more than 90 percent, resulting in decreased tourism receipts and hotel room occupancy. To support local businesses impacted by this loss, the government pumped 320 million Singapore dollars to promote domestic tourism through the SingapoRediscovers campaign. Every citizen was entitled to 100 Singapore dollars worth of vouchers to be used in hotel bookings, attractions, and tours. Even so, this would hardly make up for the losses from international visitor spending. In 2019 alone, the number of international visitors to Singapore was more than five times that of its citizen population.Singapore has gradually re-opened its borders to international visitors, having managed to control the spread of COVID-19 in the country. All international arrivals must serve a 14-day quarantine period in either a designated hotel or, for returning residents, in their registered place of stay. The mandatory quarantine had helped contribute to hotel room revenues, as visitors are expected to bear the cost for their stay. In March 2021, the Singapore government had started discussions with Australia to create a travel bubble by July 2021. However, the success of this travel bubble depends on both countries keeping the spread of the virus under control through vaccinations and vigilance.
